EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ISSUED BY:
City of Alameda Fire Department
Alameda, California
ISSUE DATE:
April 2024
STANDARDS OF COVER & DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS
COMMUNITY
RISK ASSESSMENT
CONTENTS
CITY OF ALAMEDA FIRE DEPARTMENT
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA
SUMMARY
TO OUR COMMUNITY 3
SECTION I
COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT 4
SECTION II
STANDARDS OF COVER & DEPLOYMENT 6
SECTION III
FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS 10
SECTION IV
CONCLUSION & COMMITMENT 12
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 3 TO OUR
COMMUNITY
Triton completed this analysis
by adopting industry best
practices, National Fire Protection
Association guidelines and
standards, and general concepts
from the CPSE. The final report
was completed in April 2024
and utilizes information from
City departments, an on-site
evaluation, interviews with key
stakeholders, and a public survey.
You can read the full Community
Risk Assessment and Standards of
Cover and Deployment Analysis
study here, and on the Alameda
Fire Department’s website.
In July of 2022, the City of Alameda entered into a
service provider agreement with AP Triton, LLC (Triton) to conduct a Community Risk Assessment (CRA) and
Standards of Cover (SOC) Deployment Analysis for
the Alameda Fire Department (AFD) utilizing the
Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) model.
SUMMARY
STUDY OVERVIEW
SECTION I
Community risk assessment
SECTION II
Reviews the standard of
cover and deployment
SECTION III
Includes selected findings
and recommendations
SECTION IV
Conclusion & Commitment
THE FOUR SECTIONS
OF THIS SUMMARY:
This report is intended to be a starting
point for AFD as it strives for excellence
and continuous improvement.
The Alameda Fire Department
(AFD) will use the report’s
information to set/update
performance standards,
determine optimal apparatus
and staffing patterns, assess
workload and unit utilization,
gauge service delivery
performance, support internal
department strategic planning
and policy development,
establish service objectives, and
plan for future facility needs. The
next step is for AFD to analyze
the findings further and develop
an implementation strategy.
The information contained in the
report is a compilation of operational
and administrative data for the
AFD at a point in time. Operational
incident information is included
through December 31, 2022, while
administrative data was updated
through June 30, 2023.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 4 This section provides an overview of the
community and a technical review of the
community demographics, risk classifications,
land use, assets protected, community
threats, and critical infrastructure.
Classification of risk is one of the more complex processes.
Risks are grouped using the CPSE methodology, including responses to fire, medical, technical rescue, and hazardous materials. These were then categorized by the severity of the risk. They are scored by probability, consequence, and impact.
These scores were then calculated to allow AFD to visualize the magnitude of each risk category and classification.
Generally, the AFD faces hazards similar to most other
agencies of the same size, response requirements, and
demographics. However, a few items associated with risk were significant and highlighted. The highlighted general observations are in Section 3 of the report under findings and observations. There were no observations related to recommendations identified in the CRA.
COMMUNITY RISK
ASSESSMENT
The island of Alameda
faces elevated challenges
to mutual aid access
from other fire agencies
and threats posed by
the under and overwater
road network (bridges
and tunnels).
Fire loss in Alameda
compares favorably to the
national fire loss rates.
32% of the housing was
built before 1939.
There is a high risk of
earthquakes in the City
of Alameda.
The risks associated
with a tsunami likely to
be experienced in the
City of Alameda are
considered low.
GENERAL FINDINGS
SECTION I
The survey’s most important service
delivery priority was fire suppression;
least important was community events.
1 2
3 4
5 Public
Opinion
Public Opinion
The number one expectation
of the public for response time
was four to five minutes, while
three percent or less expected
more than eight minutes. That
expectation was changed 51%
of the time, depending on the
location of the incident. 47% did
not think location should have
an impact on response time.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 5 ACCORDING TO OUR STAKEHOLDER
AND COMMUNITY SURVEY:
4-5min
The number one expectation of the
public for response time was four to
five minutes, while three percent or less
expected more than eight minutes.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 6 Alameda Firefighters visit the Youth
Camp at Ruby Bridges Elementary
School. They put on gear, showed
kids specialized equipment, set up
the aerial ladder, and explained the
importance of fire safety.
This section provides an overview
of the fire department, evaluates
the staffing resources deployment,
reviews the financial assets
available, evaluates the facilities
and equipment, and analyzes
historical performance. In addition,
the section reviews what the AFD
identified as its needed response
to specific risk categories and
classifications based on the
critical task analysis and alarm
assignments. In conjunction with
the community risk section, the
AFD will use this information to
identify gaps in performance and
potential improvements to service
delivery. Most of the findings and
recommendations in the report
come from this section. This is
primarily due to the size and
complexity of the Standard of Cover
analysis and the data’s availability.
The standard of cover and deployment analysis section
is dedicated to the technical evaluation of how the AFD is deployed and how it has performed.
STANDARDS OF
COVER & DEPLOYMENT
SECTION II
PUBLIC OPINION
Technical competence
of the workforce was
identified as the most
critical component for
future planning for AFD.
The least important was
expanding the types of
services offered.
The department considered three AFD stations in “good” or “excellent” condition, with one station listed as “fair.” The training center was rated as poor. The following figure summarizes AFD’s fire stations and their features.
FIRE STATIONS SUMMARY
Station Square
Footage
Apparatus
Bays
Staffing
Capacity
General
Condition
Station
Age
Station 1 12,742 4 12 Good 55 years
Station 2 5,575 3 9 Fair 102 years
Station 3 11,838 2 7 Excellent 6 Years
Station 4 11,234 3 10 Good 32 Years
Station 5 37,6101 31 0 Poor 87 Years
Totals: 41,389 12 38
1 It is not included in the usable total due to condition and current operational use.
S TA N D A R D S O F
COVER & DEPLOYMENT
GENERAL
OVERVIEW
II
The City of Alameda sits in
the San Francisco Bay, east of
San Francisco, CA. It consists
of one large island, two
smaller islands, and a portion
of the mainland called Bay
Farm Island, west of Oakland
International Airport. City
boundaries include some bay
areas, other waterways, and
estuaries surrounding the city.
AFD is a city service responsible
for emergency response and
prevention within the city limits.
SERVICE AREA
PUBLIC OPINION
The survey’s most
important first responder
quality was a highly
trained workforce. The
least was involvement in
the local community.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 7 City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 8 The turnout time is 2 minutes 10 seconds
or faster 90 percent of the time.
The first due travel time is 5 minutes 1
second or faster 90 percent of the time.
The total response time for AFD is 6
minutes and 44 seconds or faster 90
percent of the time.
Call processing time is 1 minute 18
seconds or faster 90 percent of the time.
However, at 55 and 33 years old,
respectively, a modernization of
the layout and systems would
improve the effectiveness of the
building and allow it to meet
current safety recommendations.
68% of incidents occur between
8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
AFD has a 32% chance of more
than one incident co-occurring.
RESPONSE TIME PERFORMANCE BY HOUR OF THE DAY
68%
32%
£ It is diffi cult for AFD to
assemble more than 10
firefighters in Alameda Point
in under 8 minutes.
£ AFD meets the Alameda County
Emergency Medical Services
response time performances
for all 4 priority classes.
00:00
01:30
03:00
04:30
06:00
07:30
0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Incidents
Hour of the Day
Incidents First Due Response (90th Percentile)
S TA N D A R D S O F
COVER & DEPLOYMENT
AFD Stations 1 and 4 are
adequate in size and shape
to serve the department.
The time that a unit is notified of an incident until they arrive at the scene of the service request is referred to as response time. This is a valuable measure of crew performance concerning reaction time (turnout) and travel time, both controllable by AFD.
GENERAL FINDINGS
II
S TA N D A R D S O F
COVER & DEPLOYMENTII
PUBLIC OPINION
Over 75% of the respondents asked
that information regarding emergency
preparedness be communicated
through social media , while only 10%
listed the newspaper.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 9 INADEQUATE SYSTEM
The records management system is
inadequate for the fire prevention bureau to
track occupancies, inspections, and permits.
POSSIBLE INACCURATE DATA
The records management system’s
fire loss data may be inaccurate, with
a potential overstatement of fire loss
for specific fire incidents in 2022.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities may exist to improve
EMS transport fee revenue.
EQUIPMENT NEEDS
There does not appear to be specialized
equipment or capital replacement funds.
STATION 2 DIFFICULTIES
Station 2 struggles to meet the needs of
AFD. Overcrowding, old infrastructure, and
inadequate apparatus access are among the
priority concerns that should be addressed.
INADEQUATE FACILITIES
The training center building is inadequate
for office or training space. It should
undergo a business safety inspection
by the fire marshal’s office to ensure all
required systems are operational and safe.
LACKING COVERAGE
The Alameda Point area lacks coverage
as indicated by the ISO 1.5 Mile Engine
distance and 4-minute travel model.
UPDATE FEE SCHEDULE
Conduct an In-depth study of the
ambulance transport fee schedule
and update it as needed.
NEW STATION & TRAINING CENTER
Remove the current training center
and add a station/training center
building on the Station 5 site.
UPGRADE STATION 2
Refurbish, remodel, or replace station 2.
UPGRADE RECORD SYSTEM
Transition to a fire-based record
management system for the
fire prevention bureau.
CREATE AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Create and fund a comprehensive
improvement and replacement plan
for the facilities, and equipment.
FINDINGS »
RECOMMENDATIONS
FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS
75%
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 10 Conduct an in-depth study
of the ambulance transport
f
ee schedule and update it
as needed.
I
dentify all commercial
properties & target hazards.
Mandate training and policy
for fire loss calculations.
Formally adopt emergency
response goals.
Create and fund a
comprehensive improvement
and replacement plan for
facilities and equipment.
Review RMS incident data
annually.
Develop a schedule to inspect
all commercial occupancies.
Transition to a fire-based
record management system
for the fire prevention bureau.
RECOMMENDATIONS
TO POLICYMAKERS
SECTION III
The analysis in Sections I and II culminates in Section III of the report, which consists of key conclusions and recommendations, including a brief description, the
outcomes expected if adopted, and an estimated cost
where available. Some recommendations were already
addressed during the writing of the report.
01 02
03 07
04 08
06 05CONDUCT
IDENTIFY
MANDATE DEVELOP
ADOPT TRANSITION
REVIEW
CREATE
POLICY & OPERATIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS
CAPITAL & LONG-
TERM PROJECTS
£ F ollow city policy regarding
new and reserve apparatus.
£ Remove the curr ent training
center and add a station/
training center building on the
Station 5 site.
£ Cont inue to improve and
update the water system
on the former naval station
(Alameda Point).
£ Re furbish, remodel, or replace
station 2.
£ Improve parking at the EOC.
The recommendations are grouped
into “Policy and Operational
Changes” and “Capital and Long-
term Projects.” AFD plans to analyze
the recommendations further and
develop an implementation strategy.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 11 ACCORDING TO OUR STAKEHOLDER
AND COMMUNITY SURVEY:
84%
Nearly 84% of the respondents were
satisfied with services provided, of
which 76% were very satisfied, while
only 1% were dissatisfied.
City of Alameda Fire Department | Community Risk Assessment : Standards of Cover 12 CONCLUSION &
COMMITMENT
SECTION IV
The CRA/SOC report presents
a detailed picture of AFD's
performance, a “report card”
of how AFD currently functions,
and whether we align with our
mission and objectives. The
report has established a starting
point for the Fire Department to
pursue improved performance
and address current and
anticipated future challenges
impacting service delivery.
AFD and other City departments
have already addressed
some of the findings and
recommendations in the report.
As stated earlier, this report
had to capture a point in time
to complete the analysis. City
operations did not stop when
information collection ceased in
June 2023, so we can already
show progress in some of the
items identified in the analysis.
IMPLEMENTATION
AFD will continue to analyze
many of the items identified
in this report. Some of the
recommendations have
significant costs associated
with them, which will need to
be discussed further within
the City organization, with
the community, and with the
City Council to chart a path
forward. To assist in that
process, AFD intends to
create an implementation
strategy to address many
of the findings within
the CRA/SOC, including
actionable tasks by priority
and completion time.
Development of the CRA/SOC is a significant
component of AFD’s commitment to providing the
City with the highest level of service moving forward.
A key element of that commitment is utilizing the
information to ensure AFD maintains and improves
community risk reduction and emergency response.
THANK YOU
To the firefighters, apparatus operators, officers,
division chiefs, and professional staff who serve
the citizens and visitors of the City of Alameda.
www.alamedaca.gov
ISSUED BY:
City of Alameda Fire Department
Alameda, California